Communicate!

Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Why Should Anyone Like Your Facebook Page?

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Facebook like

Our nonprofit is considering doing a targeted Facebook campaign for more “likes” and to expand our mailing list. Has anyone used it, and has it worked for you?

Maybe you’ve heard this question before.  Maybe you’ve even been the one who asked it.

But there’s another question that any nonprofit organization should ask before investing more time on Facebook. Why should anyone like your Facebook page?  What’s in it for them?

We’re All Busy People

Remember that people are busy.  Even if they know you–even if they care about the problem your organization is trying to solve–they have limited time.  Spending some of it on you may mean spending less time on their friends.  Or their hobby.  Or sleeping.

Why is liking your page worth their while?  Will you make them smarter?  Will you make them smile more often?  Can they find unique information on your page?  Can they find other like-minded people actively discussing issues that interest them all?

What to Do First

Before going for more likes, take a hard look at the Facebook page you have.  If very few people have liked or shared your posts, and almost no one has commented,  does your base of supporters find it useful now?

If you’re not sure, ask them. That might give you the information you need on how to attract new supporters. It will surely tell you how to get your current supporters more engaged.  Because you want more than “likes.”  You want a page that people can’t wait to visit again!

Here’s a few ideas that might make your Facebook page a magnet for supporters:

  1. Post a provocative question, and prime a couple of your supporters to respond to it right away. Once they get the ball rolling, more people who follow your page may join in.
  2. Do a poll, and promise to let everyone know the results. (Again, plant a couple of quick responders in your audience.)
  3. Get someone who’s well-known in your community to tell the story of when your services (or services like those you offer) saved their life. Get local journalists to cover the story too, including the link to your page.

Frankly, it’s a waste of time trying to get new people to like your page until you have more reasons for them to come back to it regularly. “Because we want them to participate in our auction” is YOUR reason. You have to find THEIRS.

Attention!

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I’ve noticed that many communications pros pay a great amount of attention to tactics: what medium to use, what words to say, how often to reach out to your audience.

I tend to pay attention to strategy: whom are you trying to reach, for what purpose?  What will they do if you succeed in engaging them?

Patricia Ryan Madson thinks we should be paying attention to people–the way improv artists do.

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In her book Improv Wisdom, Madson reminds us that communications is a two-way street.  Whenever there’s another person involved, prepare to be surprised! Here is some of her advice on how to open yourself up to the other person and the present moment.

  • Say yes. When you get a chance to meet someone new, have a different conversation, or entertain a new idea, take it!  Instead of “no” or “yes, but” try “Yes, and what would it take to make that happen?”
  • Look and listen.  Avoid multitasking so you can pay attention to one thing at a time. Don’t plan your next response: listen to what the other person is saying. Accept people as they are and continue the conversation.
  • Be kind to others.  Being considerate is key to getting other people’s attention, and you will benefit yourself.
  • Be generous to yourself.  Don’t feel like a failure if you can’t plan or control everything.  Be willing to do and say the obvious: sometimes that’s exactly what people need to hear!  You can’t do everything, so look for the things that you do best, that might not get done without you.  Be willing to make mistakes, and act anyway.  Have fun.

Now, I will admit, some of this is tough advice for me to follow.  I usually improvise better with a plan in hand!  When I think about the teaching, tutoring, and training I’ve done, however, I see what Madson means.  The most important thing a teacher can do is to pay attention to the people there with her or him to come up with what the students need.  Isn’t it the same with social media?

TY Thursday: Your Nonprofit Organization’s Best Friend

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loyalty

Who is your organization’s best friend?

Every nonprofit organization has one: the most loyal supporter.  The person who gives as often as she can, or as often as you ask.  The one who volunteers for all your events and brings her friends.

You’d like a thousand like that.  You’d like to clone her.  What if you could?

Businesses have time-tested strategies that create loyal customers.  Some of these strategies work especially well on social media. Nonprofits can adapt and adopt these strategies to thank our donors, volunteers, and supporters.

Danny Maloney, CEO of the social media firm Tailwind, lists “4 Ways to Turn Social-Media Fans Into Raving, Loyal Customers”:

  1. Use a targeted approach.  Find the people who are already talking about you on Facebook, Twitter, and the web at large.
  2. Let your fans know you’re listening.  “If they took the time to share a blog post you wrote or to give you a positive review, be listening for it and thank them.”
  3. Target your special offers.  Businesses give loyalty discounts.  What can you give your most loyal supporters that they would enjoy: a chance to write for your blog? lunch with a celebrity who also supports you? an award?
  4. Curate compelling content.  That’s jargon for finding and sharing information that interests your supporters.  It could be an insider analysis of where their favorite legislation stands in Congress. It could be a video that explains the issue you and they both care about.

Sharing this content with your most loyal supporters makes them feel smarter and happier because they’re associated with you.  It shows them your gratitude. It keeps them coming back to your social media.

And it keeps them advocating for your organization, increasing awareness of you among their friends…who may become your next most loyal supporters.

 

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